Most spider bites are harmless. Usually, when we think it’s a spider bite, it’s something else. Many bites are actually inflicted by other bugs, but our minds jump to the worst possible conclusion. Skin infections are sometimes mistaken for spider bites. Only a couple types of spiders have fangs that stick out enough to penetrate human skin and venom that is harmful enough to severely affect a person.
The brown recluse spider and the black widow spider are two of the most dangerous spiders in the United States. Their bites can be very harmful. Symptoms of spider bites include pain, cramping, and sweating. You should see a doctor if you’re not sure if the bite was from a poisonous spider, if you’re experiencing severe abdominal pain or have a growing ulcer where the bite is, or if you’re having trouble breathing.
1. Redness & Inflammation
The first few symptoms that we are going to discuss have to do with spider bites that come from any of the thousands of harmless species of spiders in North America. After that, we will get into some of the symptoms that can accompany the three spider bites that can be very serious if they are not treated. But from a normal spider bite, what you’re probably going to notice is redness and inflammation around the bite site.
When you are bitten by a spider, your body responds with its own defenses, which can cause redness and information around the bite area. This is probably the first thing that you are going to notice, because many spider bites are not accompanied by itching or pain, and even if they are, many people simply scratch an itch without looking at it closely.
In fact, in some cases people do not even realize that they were bitten, and the bite heals up quickly enough that they never know.